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What’s the Difference Between an RDA and an RTA?

Posted by Vape Superstore on Oct 17, 2018

RBA, RDA, RTA – sometimes it seems like there’s no end to how many attachments and devices that vaping companies can come up with. It’s a language all of its own. If you’re totally new to the whole raft of acronyms in the vaping world, or have stuck firmly to standard mouth to lung or Sub Ohm tanks we can clear a few things up.

When you’ve been vaping a while it’s natural to evolve try new things to figure out how you best like to vape. Whether that’s with a focus on flavour or creating beastly clouds, there are a multitude of ways you can change up your kit to achieve what you want. It’s for this exact reason that RDAs and RTAs have become increasingly popular atomisers in the international vaping market. When you’re new to it though, it can be intimidating to understand the differences between resistance, voltage, and watts nevermind the various atomisers, coils and output modes.

What is an RDA?

RDA stands for Rebuildable Dripping Atomiser and is a little bit more of a manual process to use than other atomisers because it has no tank. The e-liquid isn’t stored anywhere, it’s dripped directly onto the wick which allows users to switch between flavours more frequently. The e-liquid is vaped quickly away after just a few puffs, allowing for a fresher taste. In order to do this, you need to build your own coils and install them onto what’s called the ‘deck’ of the RDA. The benefit of all of this is you can choose from a multitude of wire types, create your own resistance and create dual or triple coil builds. Different wires have different properties, some give better flavour and others are great at creating more vapour. Homemade coils also allow you to use different output modes like temperature control as most metal types in standard coils are only compatible with wattage mode. All of these factors combined result in a highly customised vaping experience.

The obvious downside to this is that you can’t really vape with an RDA when you’re out and about, driving or at work. It’s a sit-in-your-armchair-and-take-your-time kind of device. They’re for people who like the detail of mods and atomisers and like to tinker and rebuild.

Another advantage that RDA users often extoll is the fact that you can run RDAs at a higher wattage. There is more space for air around the coils, so it keeps it slightly cooler while you’re using it.

What is an RTA?

An RTA is a Rebuildable Tank Atomiser. It combines the RDA with a traditional tank, so you don’t need to manually drip the e-liquid. You can store liquid in the tank and immerse the wicks in it instead. In some RTAs there is also a function where you can drip liquid onto the wick by pressing down on the drip tip in the same way you would with an RDA. You still get the benefit of being able to use different wires and personalise your coils to your liking without having to drip so often.

To be classed as an RTA the equipment must have the same e-liquid capacity as a tank and have a rebuildable deck for home-made coils much like a normal RDA. Essentially RTAs are a great option for those who want the benefit of a dripping experience without having to top up your wicks as frequently.